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U.S. needs better immigration policy

Posted: Friday, May 13, 2011

Rafael Mora-Lopez got me thinking. Remember him? His real name is Rafael Espinosa and he was the Anchorage ex-police officer who is alleged to be in the country illegally.

In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration and Reform Control Act (IRCA) which was hyped to clear the national slate of illegal aliens. That must have worked well because after passage of the IRCA and up through 2000, Congress passed six more immigration amnesty acts. Combined, the result was 6 million illegal aliens receiving amnesty. We're not done folks; now the Dream Act is being considered by Congress. Why does Congress continue down this path? There are now another estimated 12 to 20 million illegals in the country because Congress isn't protecting our borders as mandated by law. They obviously find it easier to enact amnesty bills, instead.

Arizona, a state inundated by aliens sneaking across its border, has attempted to control illegal immigration through a law enacted by its legislature. Federal law mandates that aliens 14 years or older who have been in the country for at least 30 days register and carry registration documents at all times. Arizona's law authorizes law enforcement officials, when there is doubt, to investigate immigration status incident to a "lawful stop, detention, or arrest." The federal government has taken them to court over this, saying that the law infringes on the authority of the federal government.

U.S. immigration laws exist. Congress, through the federal government, is mandated to enforce them and to protect our borders. If they are not willing to do either, then let's eliminate the laws and open the borders to anybody who wants to come in. That approach would create a conundrum -- what about the terrorist groups like Al Qaeda? What do you suppose Congress will do about keeping them and other anti-American groups out? With 12 to 20 million illegals estimated to be in the country, what's keeping them out now?